Page 53 of Don't Let Go

Rory pointed to a muscle car parked near the curb. “See that? We used to have a drag-racing problem. It’s since moved further south for the more open stretch of road, but anyway, there was a shooting at the one I went to last year. The guy who came in second claimed the guy who won rigged it and boosted his Mustang more than the rules allowed. They argued, and then someone pulled out a gun. I remember how shiny it was under the streetlight and how loud the shot was, like a firework. Then, the winner fell dead. I took off after that. I haven’t been to anything that profound until tonight.” She rubbed her eyebrow, gently pulling at her right eye.

She’s elated about all this. I don’t believe it.

I stole a glance behind us. No one was there, though I felt like someone was watching us, following us. I had no idea where we were going. Honestly, I hoped I parked this way.

“This place is crazier than I thought. A party ended in gunfire and bloodshed. The worst party I went to was when I had to run and jump a few fences because the police came for a noisecomplaint and decided to crack down once they saw we were underage drinking and had some blow.”

A thought struck me. “We’re only alive because….” I took her hand in mine, stopping in the middle of the street. “We’re only alive because that guy knew your mother. Why?”

She pulled her hand away faster than a snake could strike, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “My mamma has many friends….” She looked around us as if all she saw were ghosts. “Did you drive here?”

I pulled my keys out of my pocket. “Yeah. You didn’t answer my question, Rory. Why did they let us go?”

I stared her down. She lost her composure, the laughter turning to fear. Her green eyes grew darker. She kept blinking rapidly, her lashes reminding me of a morbid butterfly trying to escape a spider’s web.

Rory hugged herself, hunching her shoulders. “My mamma does business with some powerful men. She helps make things clean again. Those gang bangers have nothing on her connections. The gangs know to leave my mamma and her family alone. That’s all I can say.”

Business? Clean? Connections? What the hell was her family involved in?

I rubbed my eyes with my forefinger and thumb, trying to wrap my head around all this. “Okay, fine. We don’t have to talk.” I hit my key fob. In the distance, my car beeped. “Let’s get outta here.”

Rory kept a good yard between us. “Promise me you won’t tell my brothers or mamma what happened.”

I nodded. I couldn’t talk anymore anyway.

Who was the Giordano family? How were they tied into the violence that fueled South Phoenix?

With my blood pressure somewhat back to normal, I started my car and drove us home. Rory looked out the window, digging her nails into the side of her right hand the entire time.

How long has she lived like this?

I didn’t know what was happening. It felt like the world had turned upside down. Everything was a question.

24

Aurora

I’ve been on edge since that preposterous party last night. Luckily for me, Tyler kept his mouth shut, and no one seemed to be the wiser we attended that party.

Sleep avoided me, and I took advantage of it by taking a longer shower and getting ready for school. As everyone else woke up and pulled themselves together, I was downstairs cooking breakfast. I called Chloe while flipping pancakes, using my Bluetooth headphones to talk to keep anyone from eavesdropping too much.

“I need to stay over at your house during the week. Eating cold cereal or grabbing a pastry is getting old fast around here,” Chloe said. In the background was a popping sound.

“I thought you loved your Pop-Tarts,” I laughed, moving on to flipping the eggs.

“I do, but my thighs don’t.” She breathed into the phone like she always did when she cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder. “Did you hear about the shooting at that party last night?”

I knew she was going to bring that up.

“Yes. I was there.”

She gasped. “What! I heard Palolo was, too, but he left before the shooting. What happened?”

I sucked on my teeth. “I came with Paolo, but I ditched him. I was talking to Tyler upstairs when it happened.” I looked behind my shoulder to make sure no one came downstairs. “We had to jump over a body on the stairs and were held at gunpoint when we tried for the back door. Another shooter knew my mamma and let us go.”

“Wow!” she said with a mouthful of pastry. She swallowed loudly, smacking her lips. “What were you doing upstairs with Tyler? Were you alone?”

Of course, she was drawn to that piece of info and not the body or looking down the barrel of a gun. Violence is expected when your family has ties with the mob.

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